GRAND RAPIDS, Minn.-The Blandin Foundation surveyed Minnesotans earlier this year to get their feelings on rural issues. Here is a sample:
-- 49 percent of rural Minnesotans think the local economy is about the same as a year ago, while 31 percent said it is better and 18 percent said it is worse.
-- The number of people who think there are adequate rural Minnesota wages has increased, with 32 percent saying that in 2010, 38 percent in 2013 and 47 percent this year.
-- 43 percent of rural Minnesotans say their income stayed the same in the past year, about the same as when Rural Pulse survey was conducted in 2010 and 2013. This year, 33 percent said pay increased and 22 percent said it went down. However, 41 percent of urbanites said their pay went up.
-- Households with pay increases ranged from 21 percent in the northeast to 39 percent in west central Minnesota. Decreases generally came to younger people, while more increases came for those in the 24 to 34 age range. The wealthier the people, the more likely they got raises.
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-- 39 percent of rural residents 18 to 24 years old do not expect to live in the same community in five years, while 21 percent of those 25 to 34 expect to move. Just 8 percent of those older than 65 think they will move.
-- 71 percent think their rural community is a welcoming place for people of all backgrounds, compared to 82 percent three years ago.
